School-desk.



No. 634,395. Patented Oct. 3, I899. S. W. CONWELL.

SCHOOL DESK.

(Application fllerl May 12, 1899.]

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SIMON TV. OON\VELL, OF LEON, IOWA.

SCHOO L-DESK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,395, dated October 3,1899.

Application filed May 12, 1899.

To a, whom itmay concern:

Be it knownthat I, SIMON W. CONWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Leon, in the county of Decatur and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in School-Desks; and I do hereby declare the following to he a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to school-desks, and has for its object to simplify and cheapen the construction, to enable the shelf and seat to fold close against the body of the desk, to provide for a turning of the desk, to afford ample room or passage for quick exit of the scholars and for purposes of cleaning, and to provide a desk which is strengthened and stiifened at points subjected to greatest strain, shock, and wear, so as to withstand the hard usage to which devices and articles of this class are generally subjected when in service.

For a full disclosure of the merits, advantages, and the details of construction of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and the drawings hereto attacherl.

Within the purview of the invention and in adapting it to the different makesand styles of desksit is to be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrific ing any of the advantages of the invention.

Referring to the drawings forming a part of the specification, Figure l is a perspective View of a desk, showing the application of the invention. Fig. 2 is an end view, the seat and shelf being folded. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of the stand, seat, and lower portion of the desk-body. Fig. at is a view of the seat inverted. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View of the plate and braces thereof to which the desk-body is attached. Fig. 6 is a detail section of an arm of the shelf and the adjacent side of the desk, showing the means for holding the shelf either extended or folded.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Serial No. 7 16,5 22. (Noqnodeh) The desk-body may be constructed in any of the usual ways and have any desired form or configuration, and, as shown, consists of 'sides 1, bottom 2, top 3, and front 4, the latter constituting the back of the seat 5, which has pivotal connection with the desk-body, so as to fold close thereagainst. The sides 1 may he formed with or have offstanding portions 6, to which the arms 7 of the seat 5 are pivotally attached in any substantial manner, so as to admit of the seat folding against the front 4:.

The shelf 8 is provided at its ends with arms 9 and has pivotal connection with the sides 1 by means of pivot-pins passing through the inner ends of the arms 9, the latter bracing the sides 1. The shelf is held either extended or folded by means of a spring-actuated pin 10, applied to an arm 9 and adapted to have its inner end enter either one of two openings 11, formed in the subjacent side 1. The outer end of the spring-actuated pin 10 projects from its supporting-arm 9 a su fficient distance to'be firmly grasped when it is required to exert a pull upon the pin, so as to withdraw its inner end from engagement with the opening 11, with which it is in engagement, thereby permitting the shelf to be either extended or folded, as required. The spring actuated pin 10 may be applied to either of the arms 9 or one to each, as found most advantageous.

The stand 12 is provided atits lower-end with an offstanding portion adapted to obtain an extended bearing upon the floor and formed with apertures to receive screws or like fastenings for firm attachment of the stand to the floor when positioned. The upper end of the stand is formedwith or has applied thereto an outer flange or support 13, and a reduced portion 14 projects above the supporting-flange 13 and is made round and constitutes a journal for the desk to turn horizontally upon. An opening or recess 15 is formed in a side of the journal 1-1 and receives the inner end of a spring-actuated pin or bolt 16,-applied to the plate 17 to which the desk is attached in the manner and by the means presently to be described.

The plate 17 is of circular outline and centrally apertured to receive the journal 14, about which it is adapted to turn when released, said plate resting upon the outer:

flange orsupport 13 of the stand. Upwardlydivergent bars 18 have rigid attachmei'it at their lower ends to the plate 17 and are adapted to be firmly attached to the rear side of the front 4, thereby forming connection between the plate 17 and the desk-body and bracing the latter. A horizontal bar 19 of truss form is attached at a middle point to the rear portion of the plate 17, and its outer ends are secured to the bottom 2 and with the divergent bars 18 firmly connect the deskbody with the plate 17. A cleat or keeper 20 is applied to the plate 17 intermediate of the bar 19 and bars 18 and receives the inner end of the spring-actuated pin or bolt 16, the outer end of the said bolt extending through an opening in the bar 19 and projecting so as to be conveniently grasped when it is required to disengage the inner end of the said pinor bolt 16 from the opening 15 of the stand, thereby permitting the desk to be turned upon the stand to any desired position to afford ample passage-way for access to the floor below the desk for cleaning or other purposes.

As previously stated, the seat 5 is adapted to fold against the front 4: and is supported when lowered by means of braces attached to the lower side thereof. These braces are three in number, a middle brace 21 and side braces :22, the latter extending diagonally and the middle brace at a right angle to the length of the seat. The inner ends of the several braces are deflected downwardly and are adapted to engage with the forward edge portion of the plate 17, and, as shown, the terminal portions of the braces are notched, as at 23, to straddle the upper forward corner of the said plate, and whereby portions of the braces overlap the top side and the forward edge of the said plate.

Access is had to the interior of the desk through the rear side, which is left open for this purpose and whiehis closed by the shelf 8 when folded.

When it is required to secure a maximum amount of floor-space and passage-way, the shelf and seat are folded, as indicated in Fig. 2, and the desks of a given series can be turned into the desired posit-ion affording the greatest space and giving the best results. By withdrawing the pin or bolt 16 from engagement with the journal 14 the desk can be lifted from the stand and stored or laid aside when not required forimmediate use, a chair or stool being placed over the stand 12 to prevent any one from coming in contact there with.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A central support comprising a circular plate and a centrally-disposed vertical journal, a second plate mounted to turn horizontally upon the first-mentioned plate and centrally apcrtured to receive the said journal, a desk, spaced bars projecting upward from the second plate and attached to the desk and bracing the latter, and a spring-actuated bolt slidably mounted in the said bars above the plate and adapted to interlock with the aforesaid vertical journal, substantially as set forth.

2. A stand having an outer flange and a vertical journal, a plate mounted upon the said journal and flange to turn thereon and provided with a horizontal bar and upwardly-extending bars, a desk secured to the said bars of the plate, and means provided on the plate to engage with the said journal to hold the plate in the required position, substantially as set forth.

8. A stand having an outer flange and a vertical journal, a plate mounted upon said flange and journal and provided with a keeper and upwardly-extending bars, a desk secured to said bars, and a spring-actuated pin or bolt applied to the said keeper and adjacent bar and adapted to engage with the aforesaid journal, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination a central support, a desk mounted for horizontal adjustment about a vertical axis coincident with the vertical axis of the support, a seatpivotally connected with the desk to open and close by a swinging movement, and braces secured to the seat and adapted to engage at their inner ends with the said central support at any horizontal adjustment of the desk and hold the seat when in a horizontal position, substantially as described.

5. In combination with a support, a desk and a folding seat, a middle and side braces applied to the lower side of the seat, the side bracesinclining in opposite directions and the middle brace extendingat a rightangle to the length of the seat, and the several braces having their inner ends notched to straddle the corner of the said support, as and forthepurpose described.

6. In combination, a stand having an outer flange and a vertical journal at its upper end, an apertured plate mounted upon the said flange and journal and provided with up wardly-divergent bars and a horizontal bar, a desk having its bottom secured to the said horizontal bar and the rear side of its front attached to the said divergent bars, and a spring-actuated pin or bolt applied to said plate and serving to hold the desk to the stand and in a required position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afi'lx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SIMON W. OONWELL.

Witnesses:

E1). 11. SHARP, JAMEs M. CONWELL. 

